If you enjoy covers of Sixties songs, you’ll enjoy Nellie McKay’s My Weekly Reader. I found Nellie McKay’s mix of songs eclectic. When’s the last time you heard someone sing “Itchycoo Park”? Some of the songs are obscure like “Murder In My Heart For the Judge” (first done by Moby Grape, then Three Dog Night). You can get a couple extra songs if you buy the Barnes & Noble “Exclusive” edition. I found My Weekly Reader a fun retro CD. GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
1 Sunny Afternoon
2 Quicksilver Girl
3 Poor People/Justice
4 Murder In My Heart For the Judge
5 Bold Marauder
6 Itchycoo Park
7 Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter
8 Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
9 If I Fell
10 Red Rubber Ball
11 Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying
12 Hungry Freaks, Daddy
13 Wooden Ships
14 If I Needed Someone (B&N Exclusive)
15 Yellow Submarine (B&N Exclusive)
Good question. Here’s the answer: in 1999 we went to visit my sister Lisa and her (then) new husband in Phoenix and took a road trip to Tucson. While we were there we went to Walmart for something and I spotted a CD called “Cool 92.9 Oldies Radio! Lost 45’s [their apostrophe] Vol. 1” and naturally I had to buy it. (It was a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network.) I don’t know if there were any further volumes but here is the lineup:
We Aint Got Nothin’ Yet – Blues Magoos
Guitarzan – Ray Stevens
Shapes of Things – Yardbirds
Oogum Boogum Song – Benton Wood (better known for the classic Gimme Little Sign)
Little Town Flirt – Del Shannon
Pushin’ Too Hard – Seeds
Shakin’ All Over – Guess Who
May I – Bill Deal & The Rhondells
Sunny Afternoon – Kinks
Killer Joe – Rocky Fellers
Psychotic Reaction – Count Five
Itchykoo Park – Small Faces
Pretty good lineup. And as Bill Crider would say, I miss the old days.
Jeff, I miss the Old Days (and the music), too. I always liked The Seeds “Pushin’ Too Hard.” But you never hear it on the radio anymore.
There’s a funny story about Red Rubber Ball: years ago, I either saw or read an interview with Paul Simon in which he claimed he was going out of his way to write a BAD song–and was amazed when The Cyrcle made it a hit. True or not, you have to admit that RRB does not sound like a typical Paul Simon song.
Also, I too have a CD compilation that includes Itchycoo Park. I think it’s a “British Invasion” compilation. “Tell you what we’ll do (What will we do?)/Like to go there now with you….”
Deb, I read that interview with Paul Simon, too. You’re right: “Red Rubber Ball” was an atypical Paul Simon song. But, it was a hit back in the Sixties.
Oh, and Jeff: Oogum Boogum and Give Me Some Kinda Sign are two different songs, I believe. But I should probably know better than to challenge your knowledge of sixties music.
Oops! Sorry Jeff–I misread your comment. I thought you were saying the songs were the same, not that they were sung by the same singer. Sorry!
But hands down best Brook Benton song: Rainy Night in Georgia.
I love that song, Deb. We have several covers – Boz Scaggs, Aaron Neville, Conway Twitty & Sam Moore (cool version) – but no one can touch the Brook Benton.
I’m clearly not qualified to participate in this discussion with such experts, but I can say I liked Pushin Too Hard and a few of the songs… In the original versions. Covers, not so much.
Rick, I sometimes find myself in the mood for cover versions of Sixties songs. But, as Bill Crider has pointed out, the original versions are almost always superior.
At the risk of sounding like the curmudgeonly Cap’n, this woman looks terminally perky and I wouldn’t give this a second glance.
The selection is interesting, though. Oh, George, you lead me astray all the time!!
Beth, that’s why Patti Abbott calls me “George the Tempter.”
You can Always do worse than Nellie McKay…she’s great, and No One’s bowl of saccharine…
Todd, I was pleasantly surprised by this CD.
I’ve touted McKay on my blog, and added some videos, from time to time.
Todd, I think Nellie McKay is a performer to keep an eye on!
http://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/search?q=nellie+mckay
Not many people cover Country Joe & the Fish, Frank Zappa and Moby Grape. Could do without the Hermans Hermits song.
Steve, you’re right about the eclectic mix of songs on MY WEEKLY READER. I think Nellie McKay was trying to put a mix of songs on the CD that would appeal to a broad audience.
Yes, and to guys, too!
Sweet little me a curmudgeon? Who starts such viscous rumors? Be that as it may, I don’t know why I’d spend money on covers when I can hear the real deal. Granted, sometimes cover artists put an interesting spin on the original (Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help From My Friends,” for example), but if it’s a note-for-note translation I’ll stick with the original.
Bob, I with you on covers. Unless the artist can add something new to the original, the original is my preference. However, when someone like Jimi Hendrix can transform “All Along the Watchtower” the result can be stunning.